A deal of a Lifetime
by babygirl19912013
Summary: AU. A deal is made that will change two lives, hopefully for the better.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time. If I did Belle and Rumpelstiltskin would have been together from the beginning.

Prologue

Today was the day. Today was the day she fulfilled a promise decades in the making. A promise made by her mother and father before she was even a twinkle in their eyes. Today was the day she married the Dark One.

Years ago when the ogres came the land was terrorised. People were dying. Young, old, male, female, the ogres didn't make an exception for any. The army couldn't hold them back. The Lord and Lady's only chance of keeping their people save was to deal with Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One himself.

He promised to banish the ogres from their land and for them never to return, for a price. The young leaders were so desperate to help there people that they agreed to do or give anything they asked. His price was this: in two years' time the Lady would give birth to a young daughter, she would be kind and strong and beautiful. When she turned 18 he would come and take her, she was to be his wife. The couple desperately agreed thinking that they would find a way out of their agreement, forgetting no one breaks a deal with the Dark One.

The ogres were banished and peace came back over the land. Two years later, exactly like Rumpelstiltskin had said, they were gifted with a baby girl. They called Her Belle. She grew up to be kind to everyone she met, strong of heart and so beautiful. They never told Belle of the deal they had made. She never knew what was facing her until her 18th birthday. And this dear reader is where our tale begins.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter one

Today Lady Belle French turned 18. Her mother had died two years ago and since then had been Lady of the house. She helped keep things running smooth for her father and unknowingly was learning all she would need to know for the day the Dark One would come to claim her.

Today she turned 18. Most of her friends had married before now but for some reason that eluded her, her father had yet to arrange a marriage. _I guess that is better than been married to some brainless oaf like Gaston_ she thought. All she wanted to do today was cuddle up in front of a warm fire with a good book, some adventure of a far off land, but no chance of that happening. No to honour her 18th year there was a ball to be held and all their people, rich and poor alike, invited. The dress fittings, the menu planning etc. had kept her busy but she longed for some peace and time to be herself.

"Milady, your father wants to see you in the throne room." A footman snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked at him and sighed.

"Thank you, I will go there now." She smiled and made her way to the throne room, curious as to what her father could want to talk to her about, he had already said happy birthday at breakfast.

The king was nervous; he would have to tell her today. For the past 18 years he had the contract reviewed, trying to find loopholes, a way out of the deal and for the ogres to still be kept away. Unfortunately there was none. Break the deal and they would be back and the village would be devastated. His daughter was the Dark One's property the minute the clock struck midnight. If only he had told her sooner, but there was no time for self-recrimination, it had to be done.

"Belle my dear, come sit down. We need to talk." He said to her, face blank.

"Father what is wrong? Whatever it is cannot be that bad." She smiled gently and sat down next to him.

He held her hands and tried to smile at her, tears in his eyes. "As you know twenty years ago the ogres tried to destroy the village." Belle nodded and smiled at her father "What you may not know is that to protect our people we had to call Rumpelstilskin, the Dark One. We made a deal with him, but as you have heard all deals with him come at a price."

"What was the price?" She asked, confused at where this was going.

"The price was you."

"What?!" She pulled her hands out of her fathers and stood up. "You sold me before I was even born?"

"Belle please this was the only way we could see a way to protect our people. We have tried to find a way out, a loophole but there is none"

"Of course there isn't. Everyone knows his deals are iron clad. You should have told me. You always taught me that our people and their needs came first. I would have understood. Why tell me now, what exactly does he want with me?" tears gently rolling down her face, shocked at the news.

"The contract states that at midnight on your 18th birthday you are his. He wants you as his wife. In a few days you will be married. Time to get ready, any packing you need to do. I am so sorry Belle." His eyes started to mist up. He knew he had handled this wrong but he had done what he thought was right.

"His wife? I suppose it could be worse. He could have made me his slave. The ball will still go ahead. I have until midnight at least, let us hope he allows me this small thing. Do not worry, I will do my duty. Now I have to go get ready and make sure things are ready. If you will excuse me." She turned around and left the room. Her heart breaking but she still had her duty to do. She would do the brave thing and hope bravery followed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

The ball had started. The room gleamed from the bright coloured lights, people were dancing and Belle, well Belle was putting on an act, smiling for her people and making sure that her last night of freedom was just that: free.

Gaston approached her and asked her to dance. As much as she hated the jumped up knight who bragged about his hunting conquests to the women and his more personal ones to the men she had to be polite and accept his request.

Well the Dark One, who had been lurking in the shadows, was having none of that. She belonged to him damn it!

"My lady I think that this dance belongs to me don't you?"

"Rumplestilskin. You couldn't let me have my last night of freedom. I heard you didn't grant mercy but I had hoped you would have let me have this, for me to be able to say goodbye to the people I love.I may be bound by a contract of my parents making but not until midnight. If you want to claim your dance, I suggest you wait until then."

With a mock bow and a smirk upon his face Rumpelstilskin walked back in to the shadows to watch his future wife. Oh she was a pretty one in her golden dress with her hair put up. She looked every inch the regal lady and just think in an hour he could lay claim on her. No other male would touch her. She would be completely and utterly his. So let her have her fun on the ballroom floor with the young jumped up knight. Soon she would be his.

Belle took Gaston's hand and went on to the ballroom floor. The nerve of that man! She wasn't his until midnight and he had the cheek to show up at her ball. She wanted one last night to enjoy time with her family and friends, enjoy the touch of a man in a dance, enjoy life! Her parents had sold her to Rumpelstilskin and her father didn't tell her until this morning. They should have told her, she would have understood. After all hadn't they raised her to understand duty to her people came first, that she should be willing to make sacrifices to keep her people safe?

She danced around the ball room and tried to forget the man lurking in the shadows, waiting to claim what by contract said was his. She tried to forget that come midnight she wasn't her own person anymore. The clock was ticking, time was slowly running out.

She heard his voice "May I cut in?"

She was now his.


End file.
